The BIG Question: Does Luis Suarez Owe It To Stay At Liverpool?

Aside from continuing his sworn duty to educate his players, nurse their key pass completion rates and fight for his life for the people of Liverpool, capeless crusader Brendan Rodgers has largely spent his summer repeatedly batting away questions about Luis Suarez upping sticks and doing one over the summer.

Suarez has, on several occasions now, flirted with openly stating he wishes to move on, mithering about the hounding he gets from the horrid English media whenever he strays into cannibalism, etc and lamenting about the hardships of “watching the Premier League every week with no chance of winning it” as he continues to shuffle toward the Anfield fire exit.

Speaking in Jakarta, Rodgers told journalists that he believes Suarez will stay at the club as the Uruguayan is indebted to Liverpool; not specifically the club itself, but the fans and the players who have backed him unreservedly despite his myriad transgressions.

“It’s not about me or the club, I think it’s the supporters and his team-mates [he owes something to] for what they gave him,” Rodgers told the Indonesian press hordes. “They have stood by him through thick and thin, and through all the traumas he has gone through over the last couple of seasons.

“If there is anyone he owes it’s [the Liverpool fans] and his team-mates, who have fought beside him.”

And lo, we come to the BIG question: Does Luis Suarez owe a debt of gratitude to Liverpool, and should that be enough to tether him to the club?

You could feasibly argue that, with 44 goals in 85 games over two-and-a-half seasons and a long series of nigh-on solo match-winning performances in a team he was blatantly far too good for and only a measly Carling Cup and a smattering of upper-mid-table finishes to show for it, Suarez has already more than paid his dues at Liverpool.

He’s clearly playing below his station (surely all lucid Liverpool fans would agree?) and, for a player of his calibre, drive and ambition, there’s only so much time you can spend treading water and getting nowhere – especially as, at 26, he moves into his peak years.

As much as we harp on about his desperately irritating conduct, we certainly wouldn’t begrudge Suarez (a genuinely thrilling player when he’s in his “Dr Jeckyll” mode) a move to a team with genuine designs on winning something significant – but then we’re not Liverpool supporters.

10Comments

I am a LFC fan and as much as it pains me to admit this, I have to agree with the sentiments here.
When LFC first came in for Suarez, Torres was still at the club. Even though Torres left before Suarez joined he must have initially believed he was pairing up with one of the world’s hottest strikers (at the the time) + joining a club that were only one season out of the CL and prior to that had been repeatedly competing in the final knock-out stages of club football’s greatest competition……surely LFC was a great move!?
When it was announced that Torres was leaving, FSG immediately responded by showing their hand and subsequently manufacturing the top two transfers in British football history (Torres out & Carroll in) which again would make a player believe this was the right club to be joining.
Over and above all of this, LFC’s greatest icon and former double winning manager was returning to the helm…….what could possibly not be right with any of this??
Well we all now know that Andy nor Kenny worked out and LFC have sunk further down the table. And during all this, Suarez has grown in reputation, for both the right and wrong reasons.
So when it comes to the football element of this debate, it is hard to construct an argument against Suarez’s want-away antics. On the flip side the fans adore him and like Torres found out to his detriment, he may miss that added factor of support that can only drive a player on.
IMO he should stay for one more season and give it one real go in the 32 Prem matches he’s eligible to play in next season. He’s unlikely to affect his position in the Uruguayan national team and if he had a good World Cup he will be able to go to any club for even more money…….if of course he still wants to or needs to by then.

No, he does not. Liverpool spent money to sign him for one reason, him being a good player. They stood by him during his ‘scandals’ not out of charity to his person, but because he’s a good player and they benefit from having him. Everyone can see Suarez could play at a higher level, and Liverpool cannot make a case that they will reach that level soon. They signed Suarez from a club with less financial firepower and prestige than them, it’s hardly a disgrace if the same were to happen this summer.

Good bit of emotional blackmail from the david brent of EPL managers.
If Liverpool have not delivered on whatever promises they made Suarez about where they will be and which players they will sign in x amount amount of years following his joining them then of course he has every justification in wanting to leave and advance his career.

The real question is do Liverpool really want to keep him? Making statements like Rodgers has publicly only are made if you want others to hear them. By others I mean potential suitors of Suarez. All Rodgers wants to do is maximize what he can get for Suarez. And of course to make LFC look good to their fans. ‘Look we did everything in our power, but he was determined to leave.’

Liverpool needs to kick this mid table mentality to the curb of pleading with players and using emotion to con people into feeling bad or sympathizing with them. This is one of the most decorated clubs in Europe, START ACTING LIKE IT. If it were me i’d flog him to anywhere in Europe BUT England. The whole argument of, ‘no one is bigger than the club’ isn’t being fully implemented here and realistically it will be a major blow to Liverpool’s chances of gaining champions league football next season without him but if they sell him to someone, (I personally don’t care where as long as it isn’t someone LFC is competing with for CL football) Liverpool would be able to bring in some more quality players and finally make a serious push for top 4 again. Its been a nightmare watching LFC since 2008, they need to pull the club together and push forward or forever be stuck in mid table obscurity.

Sure he has scored plenty of goals for them, that’s why they bought him isn’t it? Perhaps he should stay past his contract to make up for the games he gets bans for and the repay his team mates who have the brains not to bite people.

As a neutral football fan what Spiv have mentioned does seems like a great idea for all parties involved but as a lfc fan, no player is bigger than e club. He can leave for e right price. Enough is enough.

Chris Wright. First man in the office to stick his hand up and beg for this article no doubt. Seriously though, this is good! Now your Suarez perversion is masked by a complete anti-Liverpool sentiment now! Happy days!